Abbott must act before unemployment worsens

Tony Abbott will need to push the boundaries of his promises on labour market reform in order to contain the threat of unemployment and put Australia back on the right economic path, writes Peter Reith.

There has been a sense of optimism of better economic management since September 7 and the Coalition's return to government.

Experienced ministers like Ian Macfarlane have been openly advocating economic developments which may prompt increased investments in the resources sector, the property market is being hyped by the estate agents, and the share market has kicked up.

A burst of 'animal spirits' is not a bad thing; in fact, confidence is a necessary part of economic activity. For the Abbott Government, renewed confidence is part of the political honeymoon that usually complements an incoming government.

The Abbott honeymoon could easily last until the New Year. But in the end, the 'animal spirits' will need more sustenance than an election win. They will need to be fed with good decisions on economic management. And that means genuine reform. And that has to include labour market reform.

Decision making in Australia usually starts with an international assessment and, at the moment, all eyes are on the US and the timing of the cutback of paper money known as quantitative easing.

The decision last week to continue existing funding injections surprised the market, pushed up the Aussie dollar and gave the stock markets a huge lift. This was a decent sugar hit for the US but, in the cool light of day, it makes you wonder why the US seems so addicted to racking up so much debt. There is good reason to worry that trillions of US paper dollars might end in inflation and economic dislocation; many Australians are saving more than usual in case of economic problems at home or abroad.

Australian superannuants will be pleased to see their shares rise, but with the exception of the resources sector, an increase in the Australian dollar adds more competitive pressures on the Australian economy. The higher dollar also has implications. It makes it more difficult to start the process of cutting the federal budget and a stagnant domestic economy places political pressure on the government to not cut the budget too hard even though Keynesian spending to prop up the economy is not nearly as effective as some economists claim.

The particular political pressure that may soon be facing the government is the rising unemployment rate; the legacy of Rudd and Gillard.

The Abbott team will spend years in Question Time reminding everyone about the failings of the Rudd and Gillard government. But that tactic will wear out eventually. We don't know when but a rising unemployment rate could trigger early calls for action.

Most incoming Coalition governments start the process of cleaning up the mess of their predecessors as soon as possible on the simple idea that the sooner the economy gets back in shape, the better. Campbell Newman took his lead from John Howard and his poll ratings remain good. The first Howard budget cut into spending as a priority and the Howard labour market reforms went through the Parliament before Howard had had his first Christmas in the Lodge.

In contrast, Abbott has limited his options on labour market and fiscal reforms, but the pressures for reform are likely to bank up. The great benefit of labour market reforms, compared to fiscal reforms, is that they don't add to the budget deficit. But both arms of policy need to be brought to bear if the Australian economy is to move up a gear or two. To make this happen, the Abbott government has to send clear signals that real reform will soon be under way.

No one should be in any doubt that rising unemployment will be a big political issue. The latest unemployment rate is 5.8 per cent, according to the ABS, and is forecast by Treasury to be 6.25 per cent by mid-2014. It is an issue that will not go away.

Indicators of labour demand have softened further and suggest that employment growth is likely to remain modest in the near term. The ABS quarterly measure of job vacancies fell in the three months to May, to be around 19 per cent lower over the year. Measures of job advertisements have also declined in recent months.

The rate of growth in employment has now fallen to 1.0 per cent pa on a trend basis compared with the 2.7 per cent pa growth under the Coalition. The fall in growth since the introduction of the Fair Work arrangements clearly indicates the source of the problem, as does the 11 per cent increase (trend) in those unemployed over the past 12 months.

Australia has now reached the point where employment is growing at a slower rate than the working age population. That is, those of working age are dropping out of the work force because of the shortage of jobs.

A response to the obvious problems does not need a drawn out report by the Productivity Commission, but of course Tony Abbott will want to abide by his promises. But even with the policy announced by the Coalition, Abbott can introduce some reforms.

Abbott needs to make a start to bring the labour market framework back to the "sensible centre". He can push the boundaries of the policy already released. He could bring forward reforms to the shipping industry. He could take action to remove the dodgy practices introduced by the unions under the faux claims of improved safety in the trucking business.

The retail sector is hurting. A Productivity Commission has already noted the need for reform. Why not start a specific reform agenda for the retail sector? And just to keep up the pressure, the Coalition needs to thoroughly review governance arrangements for the union movement. There should also be a proper examination of governance arrangements for superannuation.

Abbott has only been in office for a few days, but as the briefings continue for new ministers, now is the time to be putting in place a political strategy to serve Australia's economic reform agenda.

Peter Reith was a senior cabinet minister in the Howard government from 1996 to 2001 and then a director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2003 to 2009. View his full profile here.

darn:

24 Sep 2013 8:57:15am

Seriously, just saying Abbott has it covered isn't good enough.

That there must be changes to IR is correct but I don't think declaring war on unions is of much help. It would be far better to design an approach where all sides are engaged to work for a common good like Hawke did.

I also don't understand why there is no longer a need to balance the budget. Do we really need to be spending billions on roads right now. If you want to help industry it seems rail would be smarter and definitely in need of help.

While you might not like the carbon tax how can you like the direct action plan? That to me is as socialistic as you get, well that and the PPL scheme. I thought this was supposed to be a conservative government.

Market sentiment will be clearer after Christmas for everyone's benefit I hope it continues to improve.

patarus:

But if you create uncertainty as did the Labor governance charade then you put yourself at the back of the queue.

Business retreated under Labor they need to show faith and take a few positive steps forward as well.

Labor did damage over 6 years and history always shows that repairing damage is never as easy as getting things right in the first place and generally is a long haul.

Look at your workplace - when mistakes are made how many are required to fix it - more personnel than the one who made the mistake.

Workplace reform has to be an inevitable consequence of jobs going overseas - going going gone.

As for roads - try getting out of Sydney around the fishmarkets at peak hour - what a joke. A simple rear ender on the M4 - slowed the flow down. The 3 lane into 2 at James Ruse etc what a joke. At least a poke at the roads to make traffic movements efficient both in time and money and pollution are a big problem for all of us.

Arthur 1:

"As for roads - try getting out of Sydney around the fishmarkets at peak hour".

The reason the western distributor was built,was to ease said traffic congestion.

One wonders what would the situation be if the money had of being spent on Public Transport.

At 75,and having worked as a truck and trailer driver around Sydney,until 5 years ago,I remember the city before and after the present system,nothing much has changed,except the huge increase in traffic since I started driving in 1956.The road surfaces are much better,and interstate travel is a world away from the old narrow highways,but around the city,apart from road surfaces, not much has changed.

graazt:

24 Sep 2013 12:27:03pm

You are right that some real governance will be required and it's not sufficient to just be playing a confidence game. Introducing some sensible micro-economic reform is not a case of feeding the animal spirits though but rather a case of leading markets to reformulate their expectations based on reason rather than confidence.

Any regrets the LNP was spooking markets with their doomsday rhetoric on the state of the economy back in opposition? Seemed to be hearing a lot about the budget deficit....

Serenity:

24 Sep 2013 12:27:18pm

Well, if state governments hadn't let the public transport system stagnate, don't blame the roads.Instead of building roads, why not improve the public transport system? Have secure(!) parking at the stations.Well, just bulldoze a few houses around it and make it work, or bulldoze all the houses along the roads to widen them. Take your pick.

amused71:

LeftRightOut:

24 Sep 2013 12:29:44pm

Labor did not create uncertainty. This was created by the media & the opposition being constantly negative about our economy when in fact the economy was being managed quite well during a global downturn (federal Labor did retain the AAA rating in case you forget, unlike Western Australia).

Peter Reith is merely doing what a typical spin doctor does. Now that we have a change of government he is making positive statements even though there has been insufficient time for anything significant to have happened.

In regards to labour reform, does Peter Reith mean revitalising Workchoices or similar. Good for the bosses but bad for those that actually do the work for which the bosses take credit and get bonuses for.

Workplace reform and becoming competitive is more about innovation than industrial relations changes which will undoubtedly target pay and conditions of the average worker.

But as typical, conservatives think the only way to turn a profit is cut workers conditions to the bone.

And finally, Sydney does not need more roads. It needs better public transport. Studies have show that the more roads you build the more people buy cars resulting in no net benefit.

Peter NQ:

24 Sep 2013 1:15:56pm

Labour created uncertainty in a couple of ways:- Live Export Ban. After staying silent for nearly a week in the wake of the Indonesian Abbotoir Report, the ALP Minister shut down one of our major export industries overnight. Leaving many cattlemen with too many cattle and not enough feed. With a drought on the way, many find it hard as they have faced serious losses in the 'good' years- Mining Tax. This was on the cards for well over a year before it was introduced, leading to will they, wont they speculation and the cancellation of a major woodside gas project in WA worth 40 billion of investment.- Carbon Tax. A plaything of the ALP and Greens. On again off again, Setting the price, linking it to Europe, timeframe to change to an ETS this has been in constant flux since the rubbish idea was conceived.

If you want certainty, you need decisiveness. To be decisive you need to make prompt decisions, which dont change rapidly with time. Never got that with the last government, with the LNP in control thats why things are looking up. Their mantra hasn't changed in a while.

LeftRightOut:

24 Sep 2013 2:53:19pm

PeterThe Live Export Ban was a prompt decision but according to you this was bad because they did it 'overnight'. Please make up your mind. The mining tax & carbon tax were delayed and amended as the result of a hung parliament with an opposition desperate to create instability and undermine the Government. Without a majority Labor had to either abandon their plans or amend them to suite others (i.e. carbon tax instead of initally proposed ETS which some Liberals had previously suggested would be a good option, but blocked when proposed by Labor). Had the Libs been in charge they would have been faced with a similar scenario - meeting some requirements of the Greens & independents to pass legislation. The uncertainty was created by a destructive opposition.

peter nq:

24 Sep 2013 5:42:01pm

One week of silence and then a complete shutdown of a major export industry, is hardly decisive. After a week they could have thought of a couple of better options than to penalise the whole of northern australia due to the practices of a handful of indonesian abbotoirs. such as sending training teams to Indonesia, refusing to supply live cattle to the abbotoirs involved, paying for the appropriate stun equipment to prepare cattle for their halal dispatch. All would all have been better than what they did.

The Libs were not in charge because they refused to do a deal with the greens to implement such a ridiculous piece of legislation. If Labour had decisive tendencies, ie to stick with their original election promises of no carbon tax, they could have refused government and sent us back to the polls. It would have served them better in the long run, instead of looking like untrustworthy fools they could have looked only like fools.

UnKnown:

amused71:

24 Sep 2013 8:37:22pm

Can you explain to me how the Mining tax was so bad given that it was a tax (which collected nothing to date) that was posted on a small sector of mining resources AND then only on profits OVER a substantial margin?IE. make loss - no tax, make profit under margin - no tax

RobW:

24 Sep 2013 1:00:30pm

The problem for Australian businesses is that the global economy is still a complete and utter mess. There remain very real and legitimate concerns about the US, European and Chinese economies and domestically we might just be sitting on several of our ticking time bombs. Business confidence might improve in the short term, but there are still plenty of events that could bring them back to earth with a thud.

amused71:

24 Sep 2013 8:31:30pm

Errr try investing in better public transport infrastructure - better rail (freight and commuter) - then the rear ender won't matter!!Errr try dragging the economy into the 21st century (like the UK) - do they still have 13 year olds working for a penny a day in the looms of Northern England? NoErrr yes 10 years of lack of planning and infrastructure funding under Howard is a bit hard to turn round whilst there's the GFC....

JT:

24 Sep 2013 10:04:48am

Fear not the facts then JRM.

The Liberals have been elected on the back of a campaign emboldened with lies and a horrendous lack of substance and detail.

Already the cover-ups and shameful lack of transparency have begun, these are the actions of a Government who understand their trophy "Turn back the Boats Policy" lie has already been exposed to the Australian Public.

We await this revelation from the morally corrupt Murdoch media.

The dog whistle call from Reith is just the start of the campaign to be waged against the workers of Australia.

Bean Counter:

24 Sep 2013 10:40:04am

Fear not the facts JT( 10,04am). Murdoch has already hypnotized YOU into being his most willing footsoldier.

How else to explain this "belief" you have, despite your collection of tin-foil hats, that Murdoch rules the Universe? How else to explain this ability you have to hear dog-whistles echoing through the vast emptiness between your ears, eh?

Romeo Charlie:

24 Sep 2013 1:49:37pm

Wrong Graham

Being on benefits and being included in the ABS' stats are independent of each other.

To be included in the ABS stats, an ABS interviewer knocks on you door and asks you a series of question about your employment...to be classified as unemployed you must be without work, actively looking for work in the last week or two and be available to start work in the next four weeks. The interviewer doesn't ask you about whether you receive benefits or how much money you have in the bank.

To be employed you must have worked for one hour or more in the last two weeks. Seems odd, but thats the way it's been since the beginning of the survey and these definitions are set by the ILO not the government of the day.

john:

24 Sep 2013 9:36:26am

Public sector jobs are not precious. They has been so many job losses in the Private sector but not much in the Public service. (e.g ATO) If there has been a few cut backs under labour most of those were re-employed as contractors, CON- sultants etc

Peter NQ:

24 Sep 2013 1:31:33pm

If they dont spend on defence, who will?

Defence is the number one priority for a Federal Government, it is the reason the government and taxes exist. Followed by DFAT.

Social security is so far down the list that if it were cut totally it wouldnt matter. That is because the people on welfare dont matter. The people on Social Security are often the least productive citizens and can be described as a drain.

The state of the nation does not depend on them but can well be ruined by them. The state of the nation depends on revenue generated from productive citizens to fund priorities one and two.

peter nq:

24 Sep 2013 5:52:27pm

yeah, well I dont think john was complaining about paying taxes. I think he was complaining about supporting the enormous bureaucracy we have in this country.

Modern Bureaucracies are a self licking icecreams in the key respect that they have the power to impose paperwork on the unsuspecting populance in order that the additional paperwork comes back across their desks and fills their day.

The paperwork doesn't increase the productivity of anyone, in fact it is a drain in almost all aspects. There are plenty of terribly nebulous individuals in the public service, who could all do with some time in the private sector, so they can evaluate how much they're really worth.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 10:41:35am

"How many more public sector jobs must we (the private sector) carry ?"

Depends on what standard of society you wish to live in John. I guess if you want nurses to staff hospitals and teachers to be a feature of class-rooms then the private sector has to stump up the cost through taxes.

Every few years we hear of the Public Service being due for a good pruning, but we never hear serious debate as to what numbers are required to deliver effective services. Tony Abbott says he is going to cut 12,000 public sector jobs via a range of means over this term of government. I have no idea what that means as I have no other figures to compare with. For instance 12,000 jobs from a public sector that is how large? Without the second number the first is meaningless. Even if I was up to speed on exactly how the PS functions, I couldn't tell you if 12,000 job cuts were warranted, or perhaps could have been a bit heavier.

Our net population grows by almost a million people every three years, so how much should our public sector grow by to meet the needs of these new individuals?

"If there has been a few cut backs under labour most of those were re-employed as contractors, CON- sultants etc."

Let's see, who was it that abolished the CES and then re-hired labour from private employment agencies contracting their services to government?

lazarus:

24 Sep 2013 11:13:45am

Then why did the Public Service grow from 110,000 to 160,000 under Howard after he cleaned out the Public Service. That doesn't take into accound the dodgy contractors and consultants he employed after he sacked people.

Sly Place:

24 Sep 2013 11:22:19am

You mean the public servants whose salaries enable them to purchase the goods and services the private sector provides? The same public servants who ensure that the infrastructure to support private business is built and maintained? Surely not the public servants who implement the policies of the Government so that business can benefit from subsidies, tax breaks etc? Makes me wonder how many private sector jobs the public service can carry?

Davo:

24 Sep 2013 3:22:03pm

Do you have any proof that private can do better than govt when building infrastructure? Evidence I have seen does not support this myth. Govts tend to spend less and provide a better level of service. Just look at Sydney roads, electricty generation, transport..

John:

24 Sep 2013 2:53:56pm

just a follow up..delighted with some of the positive comments. With the massive write down in tax revenue, massive private sector job losses etc, the Public sector workforce needs to be cut down to align things..otherwise we go belly up.

We have to learn to tighten our belts, accept a few delays here and there and short comings and frustrations.

Alpo:

24 Sep 2013 4:41:18pm

" massive private sector job losses etc, the Public sector workforce needs to be cut down to align things"... Thus adding public sector job losses to those in the private sector. With more unemployment are you also suggesting to decrease government support for them?... Then consumption will decrease thus dragging the economy further down the drain, with further losses of jobs and increased unemployment.... The recession with didn't have to have.... Daddy will be looking for his baseball bat pretty soon methink.

John:

24 Sep 2013 10:08:23pm

thats a load of rubbish Alpo you know it clutching at straws. yes initially there will be a downside as scarce resources will be pulled out f the unproductive areas mainly loss of bums (those who are warming seats and pushing paper and blowing a lot of hot air). As the resources get diverted to more productive real side of the economy there is eventual sustainable upside. It is balance we gotta have whether you like it or not. Always follows after a Green (Labor) Govt.

notinventedhere:

24 Sep 2013 8:25:29am

AS well as paint Australia as the land of the lotus eaters. We had a good start with the carbon tax on reducing greenhouse gases, now we have nothing. Abbott has gifted us a fool's paradise. Who is surprised?

Nick:

24 Sep 2013 9:25:44am

A good start to what? Even those who support action on climate change admit that Australia acting alone will have no impact on the worlds climate.You fear mongers would be better off lobbying China and India if you are so concerned about carbon output.

Kagey One:

24 Sep 2013 11:14:15am

Sounds familiar. Pass the responsibility to the countries that are struggling to develop, rather than putting them on the ones that have already reaped the benefits of their polluting, irresponsible, industrialisation and can afford to live and commute in air-conditioned comfort. Years ago, Paul Hogan soliloquised to Malcolm Fraser: "instead of ordering us out of the poo, try leading by example". We can afford to lead by example in cleaning up industry and will reduce the cost of doing so by our developments. Preaching to nations that don't have our level of affluence just makes you look bigoted and arrogant.

Davo:

24 Sep 2013 11:32:15am

The carbon price has led to energy companies investing in serious alternate sources for the first time. Why is this bad? I don't know of any small or medium business who can demonstrate a financial impat caused by the carbon price.

Corporate and banking have been investing heavily in the new economy for the past five years. It's viwed as the next big thing in investment circles. Currently there are 1.5 million registered businesses globally involved in the new industry. The Govt should be talking to the top end of town rather than using Alan Jones as their economic advisor!

NWM:

Yes, that's what I don't understand - there is a whole new industry awaiting if we seriously get into sustainable energies, and I thought right wing wavlues were about encouraging business.

What I don't get is why the fossil fuel industry has so much influence over the Libs, at the cost of the environment, our international standing (as other countries accept the reality of global warming and start doing something serious about it).

Basically the Fossil fuel industry and the miners appear to run the place, if you think about it a bit.

sdrawkcaB:

Dr B S Goh, Australian in Asia:

24 Sep 2013 8:28:57am

I hope the Govt tightens up visa 457. It does not make sense in many cases. For example an IT outsourcing company appeared to bring in too many foreign workers.

Also it was a mistake to provide generous terms in 485 visa which allows international students to stay up to four years after graduation. We do not need to support the international student market with such a self inflicting policies. In some EU countries like Spain and Greece they have about 40% youth unemployment. We need to look after our young people.

James in Brisbane:

24 Sep 2013 9:06:53am

A Liberal government will not do that - that would hurt companies. A Liberal government isn't interested in protecting Aussie workers from foreign workers, in fact they want it - driving wages lower makes companies (Liberal voters) richer, at least in the short term. Over the long term, poorly paid workers spend less, cutting the bottom out of consumption and hurting the economy overall. You seriously need to understand the ideology and interest groups that drive our political parties.

Maynard:

Dan:

24 Sep 2013 8:30:48am

The Liberals don't know how to reform, they only know how to tear down: The NBN (Murdoch?s prize), International relations with Indonesia, Our environmental controls, carbon pricing, and it's still early days.

Let's see if paid parental leave gets through then maybe they will have something positive to contribute toward our country, until then all we have so far is an itinerary of revenge and spite fuelled destruction.

MacRae:

Tom1:

24 Sep 2013 11:17:35am

Tom: Don't disgrace my name. Border protection only became a partisan issue because Howard appealed to xenophobia to win an election. he was ably supported by the writer of this article the (dis) Honourable Peter Reith.

All subsequent issues resulted in the opposition and government being at each others' throats.

Davo:

Elizabeth Rudlow:

24 Sep 2013 12:01:40pm

We never needed border protection. We have never been under threat. Neither the Liberals who are rabid on this matter not Labor who are weak, ever addressed the fact that there is no issue on this matter and never was. A few desperate people in boats is not an invasion.

mypointis:

aelious:

24 Sep 2013 8:58:45am

Get ready for "Work Choice mark 2"..this is what the code in this article is all about. Massive income transfer from labour (YOU) to capital is about to begin & you rabbits voted for it, along with a massive loss in your super payout value, $6000 for NBN fibre, Out with Gonski, cuts to services & austerity recession..enjoy the ride..you are directly responsible for all this & don't try to start "cherry-picking"..you voted for ALL of what you are about to get!

Charles:

24 Sep 2013 9:16:55am

The transfer of funds from the poor to the rich (or capital as you might like to describe them) is already underway. Can I point out the payment of the electricity bills of those with solar panels, by those without solar panels (typically the pensioners, unemployed, and low paid in society)?

May I also draw your attention to wind farm generated energy where electricity users pay mostly off-shore rent seeker corporations for an expensive supply of electricity that cannot be used, and does not substitute for fossil fuel burning at all?

There is also the matter of the carbon tax which is still in force until next July where those poor households where energy forms a disproportionate part of the ongoing costs of living, pay the lion's share compared to wealthier households where energy is not such a big expense.

I think you might have missed a few boats that have already sailed with your comment.

aelious:

24 Sep 2013 10:13:39am

I can see that you have a big issue with energy costs as do most people, especially poorly paid rural workers who have the lowest incomes & highest energy costs.But what has this to do with "Work Choices Mark 2"....please explain!Or..are you saying that because the poor are being screwed NOW a bit more does not count?? Explain what you mean!

Bean Counter:

24 Sep 2013 11:06:20am

Charles (9.16am) You could also mention the $12-15 Billion a year in interest which the ALP has now forced US to pay to foreign billionaires on their (the ALP's )massive borrowings, but I suspect the aelious doesn't care much about these hundreds of billions over the next decades being gifted to "the rich" by the ALP.

Why he/she wants the ALP back in power to continue the growth of borrowing, so that ever more of Aussie workers' taxes can be given to foreign billionaires, instead of spent on hospitals etc in Australia is not too difficult to explain. Either he/she is one of the Centrelink/ALP snouts-in=trough brigade...or else he/she is EMPLOYED by some foreign financial interest to get as much out us Aussie workers as he/she can! Cheers.

aelious:

24 Sep 2013 1:46:28pm

Gee Bean Counter (actually a title of derision just to let you know) based on your words you should join your local Communist party.Well yes I do care that we now have foreign debt & interest payments just like you but I care more about why this had to be run up. You may remember the GFC caused by the very rich people you say we are paying our cash too. I care that they were able to wreck the global financial system with their Greed. I care that nothing has been done to check them. I care that their current actions are setting us up for another such crisis.Now let me ask you a question..Had you been the Government at the time of the crisis would you have done anything to stimulate the economy or would you have let the free market downturn rip away the jobs of about 5% of the workforce? Now don't say that this is untrue as my statement is based upon what all economists have said..economists not poorly informed persons (may be you fit this description). Have you considered the downturn effects of an extra 500,000 unemployed..the loss of tax revenue, the loss of purchasing power, the increase in welfare benefits (the welfare snouts-in-trough brigade..your words). Well you must have since you are so doctrinal in your blog..so tell me the figures & outline the economic long-term outcomes. Bet you can't.And for your interest I am self employed on a low income in a recessed (permanently) rural area I am very close to retirement age but will be forced to work on for years!What are you???

colin67:

24 Sep 2013 11:29:23am

Solar PanelsWhen I put solar panels on my roof about 3 years ago they cost $15000 dollars I put them on because I knew I was going on the pension, I decided to do this so I would not have find the money for electricity, now that I'm on the pension it takes a long time for them to pay for themselves. Before I had them fitted I rang Ergon Energy and talked to the person in charge of solar and asked how they could pay a bigger price per kilowatt then they were charging me for it and was told that they had contracts to buy a Quota from there provider and if they went over that Quota it cost them a lot more so as far as I know it saving them and everybody else.That's what I was told?It will not be long before the price catches up to those who have got solar and if you think getting rid of the Carbon tax your electricity is going to go down much your dreaming.This is when you will find out exactly how much the carbon tax costs you compared to direct action.

Jim:

24 Sep 2013 10:30:59am

Rubbish. It was an unnecessary tax on some of the biggest employers. Its abolition will help create jobs Climate change is not an issue. The people have woken up to the fraud spouted by the warmies and voted accordingly.

whogoesthere:

Treetop:

24 Sep 2013 8:54:34pm

If you don't believe in pure science such as climate science you must not believe in other pure science related courses that universities teach such as modern medicine , dentistry , engineering , electrical enginering , aircraft engineering , food technology , agricultural science , veterinary science , architecture , toxicology, computer science .I always thought 2+2 = 4 regardless of which professional was using the numbers .Climate scientists use pure science exactly in the same way as an anaesthetists uses pure science when he puts you under when having a medical operation , maybe you should never have a surgical operation as you don't believe in pure science .

GrumpyOldMan:

Yeah, Abbott is already acting exactly as expected - winding the Australian economy back towards the 19th Century where conservatives can once again feel 'relaxed and comfortable'.

All he has to do now is to figure out a way of getting the needs of real people out of the way of his mates making profits. And in this he will have the full and loyal support of people like you and Peter Reith.

Perhaps you could recruit the Murdoch press to convince us all that we are being really cruel and selfish by not wanting to work 12 hour days for 7 days a week, and be paid peanuts for the privilege, doing crappy jobs so the rich and powerful can buy a few more luxury holiday houses, and employ more lawyers and accountants to protect their interests from the left-wing scum that surrounds them!

What the:

Who is work ing 12 hours a day 7 days a week and being paid peanuts. Business owners that you progressive hate so much but I would put a years salary on there being noone else in Australia doing this.

Why do you labor rusties feel the need to guild the lilly? Why lie? Honestly it is really childish. I suppose you feel that you should be paid the same as the boss because you work just as hard. Grow up.

Simon:

24 Sep 2013 3:36:56pm

I am one of those loony lefties and also run a small business. I also work a full time job to keep the bank at bay. I don't have a problem paying a lot of tax as I think this is a great county and od not want to live in a heartless jungle like the US.

What bugs me is all the finger pointing by so called 'business" owners while they repeatedly steal tax payer funds by rorting the system, tax evasion and gst lies. The home insulation scheme was wrecked by criminals.

GrumpyOldMan:

24 Sep 2013 5:16:38pm

Have you ever heard of Peter Reith, the IPA, Australian business CEOs, or industry leaders, agreeing with trade unions that employees must be paid at higher rates for hours worked outside the normal 35 hour week, or for shift work, or that female employees should be paid at the exact same rate as male employees? Or that business hours should be restricted to 9 to 5 on just 5 days a week, so that Australians can spend more time parenting their kids or participating in healthy sporting or community activities?

If your answer is 'no, not recently', then you might like to ask about how far these people would go in cutting wages and conditions before they said enough is enough! What is it that drives this constant downward pressure on wages, conditions, prices and quality? Is it greed or just a lack of understanding of how real communities work?

I'll tell you what I find really childish. Politicians and their conservative supporters who think the world is a better place if working people are exploited more and more in order to make bigger and bigger profits for shareholders.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 10:57:56am

"So, according to the right of politics, a non market handout of money is better than a market mechanism?

That's the type of policy you come up with when all you've done for six years is oppose the big issues for the sake of opposing them. Happy to lose all purpose and direction if it brings power. I can almost imagine that if Labor were to come out with a call of their own for the GST to be raised to 12.5%, we'd see Tony Abbott legislating for the tax to be cut to 6%.

Careful now you Conservatives, remember what happened to another government the moment they put populism and polls above sound policy.

Tubesteak:

24 Sep 2013 1:57:46pm

Maybe paying for direct action will be a lot better than hoping that someone out there in the market might come up with something if we make things slightly more expensive but over-compensate the end-consumer.

Robert:

Honest Johnny:

24 Sep 2013 11:41:16am

I'm pretty sure Hawke and Keating would argue that "abolishing the Carbon Tax" does not form part of the tradition of "genuine economic reform" and does not belong in the same paragraph. Can you please stop using their name in vain? I'm sure they don't want to be compared with Margaret Thatcher and John Howard.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 11:54:15am

"Tony Abbott is already acting."

Acting like what?

Tossing stuff out and not replacing certain things doesn't always make for good management. Tell me one other country where Tony's idea of Direct Action is working sucessfully? Can you name me one other country racing to build an NBN as backward as what we are settling for at the price? I don't feel comfortable with a government that relies on faith (in itself) more than science and technology.

Goanna:

24 Sep 2013 12:14:35pm

"Tony Abbott is already acting."

@Ravensclaw ... He sure is. The Coalition is already acting to transfer public wealth and resources into private pockets. "Privatize the profits and socialize the losses" are the Coalition's watchwords.

And while all other Australians have to pay for polluting the environment, the biggest air polluters in Australia will pay nothing. Expect more handouts and tax exemptions for the rich and powerful and suppression of wages and working conditions for the poor and powerless.

LeftRightOut:

Are they talking about the type of controls they accused Labor of not having over the pink batts scheme?

Red & green tape exist to reduce the ability of people or organisations to conduct business in an manner that is detrimental to the industry, the public or the environment.

Dismantling the carbon tax & other environmental bodies / controls is evidence that the Liberals believe that business should not have restrictions which may impact on profitability. Expect to see more loss of environmental control.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 1:42:18pm

" What does abolishing red & green tape actually mean?".

Abolishing "Green Tape" is code for cost-cutting and giving Greg Hunt permission to skive on his watch. I guess "Red Tape" grants equal permissions to those who supply the funds to Greg's non-work. Surely if the purpose is to make Environmental laws more uniform and less restrictive on business, having one major set of laws laid down by the Commonwealth would be more practical than each state and territory being given freedoms to grant their own. Someome like Clive Palmer could benefit by keeping operations within a single state and lobbying a cash-strapped government, while a larger corporation operating across state borders would have to deal with added costs by needing more than one evironmental policy.

Steve Mount:

rockpicker:

24 Sep 2013 5:53:57pm

Riiiiiight. Let's just destroy the groundwater of western Queensland with a few coal mines. That would be your greentape. Where is the evidence on the carbon tax?How about we stop blaming workers an consider the companies that poached workers at huge pay increases because they had trained noone. Sunds like the worker's fault to me. If Reith said it, it sucks. Basic IR.

Dave:

Jack:

24 Sep 2013 7:38:42am

So the excuses are starting Peter. You say Abbott has only been in office for a few days. Abbott has been hiding ever since the election was held, and has made it very clear that he intends to keep hiding by imposing secrecy so his failings and his government's failings can not be seen.

You are far to kind to Tony, Peter. You should be screaming out loud and long to Tony to get on and start doing the job for which he is paid, and to do it very publicly, putting his new found desire for secrecy behind him so we do not have a return to the policy of no responsibility, no accountability, no consequences that you operated on and which Howard made an art form for himself, his ministers and his government as reflected in your hysterical calls of children being thrown overboard.

Get with it Peter if you wish Tony and yourself to be taken seriously any time soon.

GRF:

24 Sep 2013 8:17:50am

Jack, the adults are back in charge and there's no need for the spin-cycle anymore. Your mob are out of the rinse, spun-out and up on the line to dry out. People who know what they are doing are in charge and it's good to see!!!!

And the people smugglers and assorted hangers-on have already found out what happens when the adults are in charge!

ThatFlemingGent:

"If you are mentioning the recent story of the "whistle blower" who was sacked, their comments where about a time under the ALP government and the procedures started under the ALP government. "

No, I was referring to the Christmas Island official who is being threatened by our odious Minister for Racis^H^H^Immigration and "Border Protection" Morrison for daring to tell the unedited truth about asylum seeker arrivals and counter the latter's attempts to censor and mislead the public re: their doomed attempts to "stop the boats" (now it's "hide the boats")

Bean Counter:

24 Sep 2013 11:13:49am

TFG (9.44am). Why not tell us who that Christmas island Fella is? Are you concerned that telling us he is former ALP Chief Minister (ie Premier) of the ACT, who's been given a million a year job to help his Federal Labor Mates (whom he knows very well since he and they used to party together in Canberra) cover their failures in Immigration....will not sound so noble? Huh?

The Abbott express has arrived. Get outta the way, or feel the point-end of the cow-catcher...Luvvy!

Blzbob:

24 Sep 2013 9:03:43am

It is most often adults that are responsible for things like theft corruption and even child abuse.Not sure that just being adult is enough to make you worthy of any position of power.better to have responsible people in charge no matter what their generational stature.

Abbott and his pals are far from responsible, after they spent six years tearing our country down in the eyes of the world.

I Love Polls:

24 Sep 2013 10:52:31am

Here, here! This whole calling themselves an adult government is just one of many cringe-worthy things that has come out of Abbott's mouth. I wish this was a nightmare I was going to wake up from. Three years of Abbott? Say it isn't so!

Dez Paul:

Well put, Fleming Gent. "...these are spoiled brats and vengeful miscreants put in place by unthinking idiots". True now, true in the case of Howard, Reith et al.

The ink is barely dry on Direct Action Plan Man's 'kenoath of office, and the Reithster is off and running. I laughed at his suggestion that the shipping industry needs more reform.

I've got an idea, Mr Reith. How about you take a 50% cut to your parliamentary super and give that some Newstart recipients? But for the grace of god/allah/jahweh/great spirit, you could have been in their shoes.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 11:19:47am

"If, as you contend, the "adults are back in charge" then please explain why they are playing hide and seek with the much squawked about operation sovereign borders?"

The way the government are managing this is pretty despicable. I can't recall a more outright political use of our Defence Forces.The thing that irks me more is it is the Immigration Minister and not the Defence Minister who is using the miltary as a personal tool.

Tony Abott suggested we won't be seeing too many media press-conferences for the sake of self-promotion. Pity Scott Morrison wasn't told before inviting as many press members as possible into his office so they could see him all authoritive and filled with so much testosterone that I thought he'd burst. His new mates in uniform looked uncomfortable at times and rightly so.

One week of Government and already we are well behind where we were with Labor and our relationship with Indonesia. Apparently it's not Julie Bishop's fault these Indonesians won't understand. Good luck the first time an Australian Navy vessel tries to escort a boat back to Indonesia.

What the:

24 Sep 2013 11:33:03am

The ABC never reported the boats when they did come so what are you all concerned about. You didnt know when they came under labor and you wont know now. Whats the difference?

We all know what the difference is. The ABc wanted to ignore the problem that labor created. pretend it doesnt exist. Now they want to make a big thing out of every arrival. I shouldnt be suprised. Its the hypocritical way progressives operate.

Polysemantic Pete:

"The ABC never reported the boats when they did come so what are you all concerned about."

I'm concerned you are talking total rubbish in a lame attempt to skew the argument. Try entering "boat arrivals australia ABC News" into a search engine and see how far back many stories date.

I find it rich Labor get blamed when it was Peter Reith and Co. who made this such an issue for political opportunism at a time the Howard Government were screwed in the opinion polls of the era. By all means blame Labor for making some bad calls since, but don't ever forget it was the Conservative crowd who whistled up the first dogs.

Perhaps we should forget boats filled with asylum seekers coming from Indonesia and take another look at ships filled with Australian wheat sailing into Iraqi waters?

burke:

Goanna:

24 Sep 2013 1:35:57pm

@burke ... Sure do! Spin is when you try to make a campaign against refugees seeking asylum into a military operation and then claiming that since now it is a military operation you will not be disclosing operational details.

Kangaroo Edward:

emess:

24 Sep 2013 10:04:50am

The A-dolts are in charge all right.

So far, they have started stuffing up relations with Indonesia. Failed to stop any boats. Started censoring news. Admitted that well, the economy wasn't really in emergency settings (ie they lied). Insulted all the women of Australia by their selection of a female free ministry (except for the token woman - and you want to bet she won't be asked to make the coffee and take notes at meetings)?

aelious:

24 Sep 2013 10:26:23am

Well she won't "cause as Foreign Minister.... (a lame duck ministry anyway..when did good old Oz ever have an independent foreign policy???.our foreign policy has been & continues to be the lackey of foreign capital owning interests) .....she will be out of the country most of the time..so Abbott's Merit Ministry will be actually 100% male! Gee ain't God back in heaven now. Males rule & women serve. Didn't they teach that upstart Gillard what her real place was & is. The Glass ceiling just got a lot, lot lower. It's God's will of course.."cause God told Tony & his other religious loonies in the Cabinet so!

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 12:09:19pm

"All the A-dolts have so far is spin."

Wait until they finally have to sit on Government seats in a few weeks time. Would be hilarious if not so tragic and ruinous.

Malcolm Turnbull will be first to take one for the good of the party. He's blown any chance of leadership ideas he may have had. Utes and Nodes, Malcolm proves he is in touch with the street-scape and thinking of Australia.

Stuffed Olive:

24 Sep 2013 10:27:38am

A bunch of mature people who never grew into full responsible adulthood more like it. We now have hidden policies of secrecy and pay-back for daring to elect a Labor government. We also see their supporters having to do acrobatic moves to justify things being done which are completely undemocratic. Why the Nationals continue to prop up a Liberal government is beyond me. It is not a Coalition. It is all for big business and it is definitely not for governing for all. Just watch.

Goanna:

24 Sep 2013 2:04:05pm

"Why the Nationals continue to prop up a Liberal government is beyond me."

@Stuffed Olive ... It's because both the Liberals and Nationals are advocates of Crony Capitalism and both parties believe in the policy of "privatizing the profits and socializing the losses". This attitude has a long history in Australia going back to the early days of settlement - the days of the Rum Corps and the Squattocracy.

Stuffed Olive:

24 Sep 2013 3:28:15pm

You and I may know that history. Sometimes people need to be reminded. But some things do change. Farmers are not happy about CSG and its definite danger to their farms and food production. There might be an awakening. Rural areas are neglected - we get thrown crumbs by the 'coalition'. We got more from Labor in 6 years than the previous 13 years. The current lot voted for a Fraudband when they actually know they need the real NBN. A weird mob.

Goanna:

24 Sep 2013 6:26:08pm

@Stuffed Olive ... There does seem to be an awakening in country areas. Country people seem to be becoming aware of the impact of climate change and the factors causing degradation of the environment - and country areas are greening up compared to the deserts of dead grass and dead trees I remember from when I was a kid. But it is slow, and old habits are strong. Tony Windsor did a lot for country people. He saw the dangers of CSG, the advantages of the NBN (Labor's version) and the need for resolution of Murray-Darling issues, but was pilloried for it.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 12:57:43pm

> I watched Greg Hunt being interviewed on Late Line last night - you want to talk about "SPIN" <

I remember seeing Greg Hunt interviewed a while back and I thought perhaps the Liberals had finally appointed someone who would take the issue of the science and the environment seriously, but alas, just another suit adhereing to Head Office mantras.

Tom1:

24 Sep 2013 11:29:01am

GRF: "The adults are back in charge" Someone well down in the pecking order of the Liberal party thought of that phrase. They told Tony Abbott it was all right to use it. Normally his own original sayings are sexists or offensive.Ironing boards, men more used to higher positions, sex appeal etc.

Tony used it, and now the loyal Liberal followers are told that they will not be accused of plagiarism if they use it. in fact they are encouraged to do so.

Arthur 1:

Pauly:

24 Sep 2013 1:44:32pm

I do find it funny when conservatives make the claim that "the adults are in charge", in no small part because of how petulant the comments are when it is being made. Taking the standard conservative stance of attacking the person instead of the issue.

I do suggest that you do some research on which side of politics people of lower IQ's are more likely to vote for.

It isn't just those of below average intelligence that conservative appeal to, the selfish are also drawn to them, but either way, I find it interesting that people admit to being a conservative.

I can understand that there are a lot of people that are selfish and plenty are happy to get ahead at the expense of others, but it's surprising that they will openly admit to it.

To state that the public don't need to be informed of the detail because "the adults are in charge" is ridiculous, an informed public isn?t the product of spin, it is our right to know the details.

Progressives are weird like that, wanting to make informed decisions. I guess ?adults? don?t.

Blzbob:

Abbott will fix the unemployment problem by not allowing his departments to tell the public exactly how many unemployed their actually are giving the public the impression that they no lo0nger exist.

Anything Tony does will push unemployment higher, though he will somehow find a way to blame unions for any rise.The liberals like high unemployment for one reason. With a high unemployment rate you can force down wages. once you get the ball rolling it maintains itself, as low wages flow through to weaken demand and low demand leads to even higher unemployment.

The idiot rich will be rubbing their hands in anticipation, as the less others have the better it makes them feel.

The nose:

24 Sep 2013 9:39:04am

Bizbob, under the capitalist system a unemployment target of 8 percent is considered the ideal, for obvious reasons, (pool of unemployed to exploit) so don't be fooled by the crocodile tears of Peter Reith.

Polysemantic Pete:

"Under the LNP it is all about forcing down wages and nothing about raising employment."

Don't forget either, Tony promised two million new jobs within five years of a Coalition Government. That will change as soon as they can invent a reason to blame Labor and the rest of the world.

Two million new jobs over that time period barely takes in requirements of a growing population. Two million new jobs is probably closer to half a million effective jobs that boost productivity, the rest just take up the slack.

I Love Polls:

24 Sep 2013 9:52:12am

You're spot on. While there is the huge benefit of not having to see his face or listen to his punishing, repetitive mantras, staying hidden from the public is just gutless, pathetic and bizarre. This surely can't be typical behaviour of someone who's supposed to be running the country!?

Polysemantic Pete:

Grasshopper:

24 Sep 2013 7:39:36am

But Petey, surely you don't believe that Team Gospel Truth Tones should ignore the lengthy public debate on bringing back Workchoices that preceded the election and also ignore the election result.That they should, within days of the election, walk away from one of their most well-debated, well-understood and prominent policies.

'Cos if that's what you're advocating, you might want to have a word with Malcolm Turnbull about your lot's stance on the NBN, which is a policy that Australians actually support.

TrevorN:

24 Sep 2013 10:06:26am

"But Petey, surely you don't believe that Team Gospel Truth Tones should ignore the lengthy public debate on bringing back Workchoices that preceded the election and also ignore the election result..."

Blzbob:

24 Sep 2013 9:08:16am

Come on forrest, you know the libs will backtrack and renegue on practically any positive promise they made.That is why they are "moving slowly" in the hope that the public will forget they even promised anything.

So far all we have had are sackings and more threats of sackings. a fine example to the business community, that for them rule number one is that their are no rules.

What the:

24 Sep 2013 11:43:04am

Bizbob - can you provide any evidence to back up your assertions/ Or are you just the normal run of the mill dishonest progressive who will say and do anything to deride Tony Abbott. Judging on your previous posts you are an economic illiterate who has never worked in management in private enterprise.

I bet you did not have the same concerns about the public service sackings when the labor government bypassed all recommendation to make Costello head of the Future Fund and went with its own puppet? No that was fine because it was Costello and he is a conservative. Grow up.

OntheRun:

24 Sep 2013 9:57:34pm

How was his comment left or right winged? It was for doing what they said. If Julia Gillard didn't do the "No Carbon Tax under a Government I lead" and John Howard didn't do the unannounced work choices after promising he would "not let power get to our head", both might have survived a bit longer.

I think people will get angry if they consider a policy either a reversal or a promise or significant enough that it should have been announced pre-election. The details don't get much of a mention if it is seen as a non-promised delivery. They are far more comfortable with a delayed-to-never promise.

Alpo:

24 Sep 2013 7:43:28am

"A burst of 'animal spirits' is not a bad thing"... Is that the basis of your confidence in this government? "Animal spirits"?... Rrright.

"The Abbott honeymoon could easily last until the New Year"... Honeymoon? What honeymoon?... Watch those opinion polls... Btw, where are they? Have they already gone? Disappeared like the boats?... More than honeymoon, this seems to be the Bermudas Triangle of politics!

"the legacy of Rudd and Gillard."... NO! There is no "Rudd and Gillard"... you will NOT be allowed to hide behind excuses! If you have solutions, show them! If you can't solve the problems, just get out of the way and call fresh elections!

Unemployment will raise and you are asking Abbott to introduce the workplace reforms he told before the election he wouldn't be introducing.... Great! Exactly as we predicted!!!!

Forrest Gardener:

Alpo:

24 Sep 2013 8:57:29am

For the Nth time, I predicted a hung Parliament... get it right at least once, Forrest... if you can. The prediction was wrong. You guys predicted a wipe out of the Labor leadership: you were wrong! You guys also predicted a wipe out of Labor in Qld: You were wrong! You also predicted a wipe out in Western Sydney: Wrong again! I predicted a strong vote for independents: I was right (ask Sophie Mirabella)!Measurable predictions is what makes a hypothesis testable; if you didn't know about that, you now do.BTW I have stored this answer and will cut and paste it every time you repeat your nonsense, Forrest... Don't blame me if you end up having nightmares with "Alpo's answer".... Great fun!

Alpo:

24 Sep 2013 10:11:24am

custard, but don't forget that the bulk of the swing in the primary vote didn't go to the Coalition, but to independents and minor parties.... Abbott sleeps on this victory at his own peril.Predictions are essential aspects of testing a hypothesis. After the test, you have got the facts, just the facts and nothing but the facts.

Tom1:

Yes but custard, you made lots of other predictions too. Every Liberal supporter out there predicted the same, in fact worse for Labor. You need some other claim if you desire fame.

I have gotten over my depression about being ruled by a right wing, religious zealot, supported by the same, on his front bench because it is becoming clearer and clearer that this will be a one term Govt.

Polysemantic Pete:

24 Sep 2013 12:26:27pm

Custard, your numbers were close to what you predicted, so congrats for that. Mind you, they were at the minimal end of the scale by your standard, table-tennis paddles instead of base-ball bats. Queensland and Western Sydney were two regions your lot campaigned most strongly in, but the results didn't seem to warrant the effort.

Even where I am, Palmer Party scored a hell of a lot of the vote the Liberals thought they'd get. New Local Member holds a narrow and shaky margin of just over 0.5% TPP and if this is still a bell-wether seat which reflects wider views...

Tony was so strident and adament on a range of topics during his time as Opposition Leader. Are we now going to see the Man of Steel (blue tie, red budgies) become a Man of Lead?

Hung One On:

Hassa:

24 Sep 2013 4:38:22pm

Custard,

I thought you may have gone into hiding,I just want to know when your prediction is actually going to kick in ,I bought a business on your crystal ball predictions and consumer confidence has not moved, now you can wipe the egg off your chin.

Forrest Gardener:

Alpo:

24 Sep 2013 5:13:50pm

Forrest, predictions are adjusted according to changes in the knowledge base. It happens with climate change models, it happens with politics, it happens everywhere. If you can't predict, you can't test scientific models. If you don't want to predict it's because you have no idea, but if you have no idea, why should anybody listen to what you say?.... Don't forget that the fear of making a mistake is first a recipe for inaction, not a recipe to get it right.

Serendipitous:

What the:

24 Sep 2013 11:51:22am

Yeah - good point about the opinion polls. What? Show me an opinion poll post election. You think that just because you hate Abbott and conservatives that people are suddenly, two weeks after an election where the resoundingly rejected labor, going to wake up and say "oh we made a mistake"

It just proves the contempt to which labor and its supporters hold the public. As if we needed more evidence. Abbott will have at least 2 terms so you progressives had better get used to it. You never know after 6 years without the labor government there to wipe your nose you might even like a bit of self dependance.

ummagumma:

2 terms...1 term of Abbott will be enough to see the Conservatives in opposition for a very long time....the election of an Abbott government is the best thing that could've happened to Labor.

The entire LNP front bench were already rejected out of hand by the Australian public in 2007..that the LNP would run the same bunch of hacks in 2013 proves the contempt in which they hold the Australian public...you have the VB set on your side..but they're fickle!

OntheRun:

24 Sep 2013 10:08:16pm

There is plenty to help at the moment. Less being spent on foreign aid to promote a UN seat with dubious benefits. Nothing being paid to Tim Flannery who will now essentially do the same job without government funding. Next to no chance of a bipartisan refused fat tax being investigated. Next to no chance of social research getting the funding for pointless articles, or DHS studying chairs but most importantly

There will not be another 45% increase in SES public servants when what is needed is front line services, not hidden office paper shufflers.

When I hear ABC articles crying about cuts, I cheer as every cut I have seen so far has no direct correlation to improvements in public wellbeing or increasing productivity.

virgil:

24 Sep 2013 7:44:22am

Just say it Peter... "Workchoices". There you go.

Holding Can Do Campbell up as a model for the Abbott Govt is classic Reithian bluster. Queensland to June had its highest jobless rate in almost a decade and the second highest unemployment rate after Tasmania. All after massive public sector cuts while the LNP tried to slip in a +40% pay rise for pollies. Note: the employment rate did recover slightly in July so the next set of figures will be very interesting.

The Federal Govy adding to an increase in unemployment would really help the retail sector wouldn't it Peter?

Forrest Gardener:

What the:

24 Sep 2013 12:09:46pm

No Alfie, you are wrong. You shouldnt let facts get in the way of a progressive story. They think everybody hates Campbell and that he is doing a terrible job. They probably even think labor can win the next state election.

It highlights the contempt that labor rusties have for the electorate and it also highlights how completely delusional they are. Two or three terms of conservative government at both state and federal level in queensland should be just the medicine.

Blzbob:

maggie:

24 Sep 2013 7:49:45am

You shouldn't be to worried about jobs as all abbott has to do is reinstate the people that the Newman government sacked and he is well on the way, what he doesn't understand is no one is going to work for poor wages and conditions, after all you don't see any of the political staff working in anything except air conditioned offices comfy chairs coffee on tap and good wages and we the tax payer pays it, they don't. I think its about time that all governments lead by example, not by do as I say not with do as I do. The best thing any government can do for its people is to be open honest and be seen to lead the way, not be secretive, not to tell lies , we are not a stupid bunch.

Alfie:

24 Sep 2013 9:42:02am

Sitting back and expecting more money for doing the same (or less) work is the lazy way. If you are a committed employee, you will find simpler ways of doing things, making suggestions and sharing in the rewards with your employer.

whogoesthere:

24 Sep 2013 11:09:40am

'sharing the rewards with your employer', oh come on !. It is true for some, but it is most certainly not universal. Low paid, low skilled workers are open to exploitation, it's human nature to be greedy and not 'share', 19th century England is a good example of a skewed system.

Wages are not the be all and end all, how about the rents charged for retail space ?. That sent my brother-in-laws business down the tubes, not wages. It hardly ever raises a mention.

I get a 25% penalty rate for working Saturday, that's $40 over an eight hour shift. Get rid of that and will my boss hire more staff ?. No way. Is that extra $40 (offset by increased turnover) going to send him broke. No way.

Labour market reform is talked about as only being about wages, it is more than that. CEO pay and bonuses is also a factor, but I don't think they'll be taking a pay cut !. Don't think they'll have to 'raise their productivity.'

Lee:

24 Sep 2013 11:55:40am

An employer actually investing in providing more efficient equipment for employees to use would also be a good start.

I have worked in one place where our counterparts from Hong Kong came to visit and they were horrified at the primitive equipment we were working with....considering we had higher output than they did....

The employees had been asking for improved systems for over 15 years, put forward proposals, did the basic foundation work on what needed to be upgraded and how it could be done without interrupting the workflow - all in their own time - it was taken ignored over and over again (in the 7 years I was there I saw it happen 3 times). Meanwhile the managers were taking higher and higher salaries and complained about the output of the employees because it wasn't increasing fast enough (the way they negotiated we had to increase our output for a CPI increase in pay)....

graazt:

In the last 30 years the proportion of worker's productivity gains that are returned as wage increases has declined compared to company profits.

Excluding executive-level wage-earners of course where salaries have gone through the roof.

So, where's the incentive? If executives' base salaries are inadequate to incentivise them to the extent they need share options and performance bonuses, shouldn't we apply the same principle down the heirachy?

And on the subject of finding better ways to do things (eg innovate and improve productivity), why is the only thing we ever hear from the shills of Australia's management class that we need to lower wages and build more roads?

Oh well, should be interesting to see what happens. Probably not a great time to win an election on reflection.

burke:

Aja:

24 Sep 2013 8:07:03am

Here you are again Peter, praising Abbott for doing what? Getting rid of the Climate Change Department? Allowed Julie Bishop to get off scott free for insulting the Indonesians? Got what the Government is doing off the front pages of the newspapers? Gone into secretive mode?

Allowed Scott Morrison to decide when he will let the Australian people know when boats are arriving which by the way is only being done to give the impression that no boats have arrived. Removing people from Christmas Island (which is offshore) and sending them offshore to PNG and Nauru for processing. How costly is that? We are paying for them to be flown there to make room for other boats which will arrive!

Abbott has let Turnbull sack the NBN Board and therefore implement his own screwy system of internet which will put Australia back behind the eight ball and will not help business one little bit? How much is it going to cost us to keep repairing the copper and how much will it cost us to get our internet connection from the end of the street? Cost me a pretty packet as the end of my street is 3 miles away!!!

Abbott has shut Joe Hockey up, so much so that is he still in cabinet? Where is Christopher Pyne and what is he doing? Dismantling the education system quietly and quickly?

The unemployment rate was around 5.6 when Labor was in and if it has risen since then it is what we were warned about earlier this year! We were also told that the higher Australian dollar was a huge cause in the deficit, together with lower receipt into Government coffers. Labor also told us that the deficit was predicted to be turned around 2016-17 and now Abbott is touting the same timetable?

There is nothing in your article which is anything new Peter Reith. You should stop treating the public like they are morons who should be "taught" what is going on.Tell us what the Government is doing irrespective of their "honeymoon period" and as a nation, we have a right to know.

If we are going to be treated like mushrooms, then Abbott will not last one term and neither will the Liberal Party. As I see it now, they are waffling around and saying nothing so they appear to be great! Smoke and mirrors Peter.

Serendipitous:

24 Sep 2013 9:01:02am

Got what the Government is doing off the front pages of the newspapers? A cunning Howardian strategy, if I remember correctly. Pre-election, boat arrivals were kept in our faces by a wiling media. Post election, the news has been muted. Why? So the public FEELS that the govt has been successful in stopping the boats. The most interesting question in all of this is how long, if at all, it will take ordinary Australians to realise they are being conned.

Malcolm:

What the:

24 Sep 2013 12:20:52pm

Malcolm - if you think thats bad then you really should be angry with the 50,000 that arrived under labor. You should be doubly angry with them because they were the ones that changed the rules and enticed the boats back.

Still it doesnt work that way for progressives does it? You are only outraged by conservatives. You probably should get used to being outraged as it will be at least 6 years probably 9 or 12 before labor get another crack at stuffing things up.

Paul01:

ICAC raids in NSW into LNP MPs offices, Minister deliberately lying to parliament and getting away with it, just a couple of examples of daily debacles.

Former LNP MP who the Vic government needs to hold its majority charged with multiple offences but the LNP still accepts his "tainted vote". Sort of smacks of hypocrisy when you consider that fellow Craig.

Colin loses an A in the boom state of WA and is deeper in debt than the feds ever could be and all he can do is throw up a GST debate to get his incompetence off the front page, yet another example.

Tony has turned off the light so we really don't know what he is doing. All we are getting is drip fed propaganda from the ever compliant Murdoch media machine.

Malcolm:

Jess:

24 Sep 2013 8:19:40am

A little history...

Workchoices was never really killed. Rudd and Gillard made some VERY minor changes to it, and then served it up as Fair Work. The Unions were all told to make out like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, when they all knew damn well that it would change very little for the average worker.

Now Peter, you talk about swinging the pendulum back to the sensible center? I couldn't agree more! However, to get it back to center, it needs a swing towards the workers, not to the employers.

The industry that's really in trouble is manufacturing and it's circling the drain. In opposition, did Tony hound the ALP government to ensure that all BER project materials were sourced from Australian companies? Did you make a noise about international product dumping that has cost hundreds of thousands of Australian jobs? Or did you just make a big song and dance about moral non-issues like boat people and gay marriage? See, your side flailed about, screaming that the sky was falling over things that don't really matter, and now that it's Tony's turn in the big chair, you want to claw back wages and conditions like that's going to turn back the tide.

How about this for an idea: we'll take a pay cut when you and your mates do.

DaveC:

notinventedhere:

24 Sep 2013 8:30:46am

Peter, your ideological goggles are preventing you from seeing what is clear to everyone else. Cutting spending is not required - spending is at a lower % of GDP that at virtually any time in the Howard years. Cutting spending will increase unemployment, as night follows day.

So you are prescribing an exercise in tail chasing.

What we need is to increase personal and corporate taxes, to compensate for the taxes that Abbott is foolishly proposing to abolish, along with ridiculous policies like increasing the defense spend, Operation Futility to apparently hide the boats the boats, and a range of other nonsense.

Abbott is proposing to increase spending and cut taxes. How on earth will that work, when he says we have a budget emergency?

the egg:

24 Sep 2013 8:32:20am

Oh how the public fell for the lies, bulldust and rhetoric fed to them by the LNP.Of course Workchoices is on the way back dressed up in the mantra that it's better to have a low-paid casualised job than no job at all!!It's in the LNP DNA to expect us to work for bugger all to keep the 1950's status quo rolling along.Where is Abbott by the way ??? He seems to have gone on holiday after all his spent energy during the last three year election campaign. Chanting three word slogans must be really tiring !!!

What the:

24 Sep 2013 12:42:49pm

Why do you think you are so much smarter than everybody else? Progressives think that just because they think something taht everybody else is stupid for not agreeing. Its childish and was reflected in the childish government who were just thrashed in the election. Resoundingly the public said enough of labor and its lies and spin.

Your immature view on the LNP wanting people to work for "bugger all" highlights you are an economic illiterate. Who is going to buy the goods and services if everyone is paid "bugger all"?

Malcolm:

24 Sep 2013 1:39:22pm

Progressives are called progressives because we see the value for all of us in moving on from the entrenched silliness of conservatives like old Tony. What a wonderful crowd the LNP are for dragging us kicking and screaming into the 20th century.

burke:

Ananke:

24 Sep 2013 8:38:50am

In retrospect of the previous federal government, good policy takes time to develop, implement and monitor. It is better to get it right rather than release off-the-cuff, ill-thought policy on the run which was the tradmark under Gillard and Rudd. We need professionals in power, not amateurs.

Long Xuyen:

24 Sep 2013 8:39:50am

Mr Abbott promised no surprises but already he's given a heap of them including the "if it wasn't seen (reported) then it didn't happen" approach to the boats. Sure, he said turn them back, buy them but not that he wouldn't tell us as boats arrived. Pretty ordinary approach and looks like his sidekick Morrison lacks ticker too.

The Owl:

24 Sep 2013 8:42:46am

To those who are 'sweating on action' don't worry.WE, who worked our hearts out during the campaign and stood for 14 hours on Election day, will hold our leader Tony Abbott to account, as we know this country deserves better and trust him and the team to deliver.Unemployment is a huge issue and has not been addressed by the former labor governments. Unions are not interested in the issue - only in those employed.The disgraceful conduct of agencies, who dishonestly accept commissions for finding jobs, has to be stopped and each agent has to be responsible. Speak to those seeking employment and 'feel' the frustration as they relate the stories of apathy and the 'bleeding' of OUR money.

Read of the profit made by Therese Raine in GB - not critical, as she only exploits a system.Give it back to Social Security and as a Nation, demand results. The attitude to the long term unemployed is a 'joke' and these people are being conned into believing that they will find employment.

At the other end of the age spectrum, let's not fall for paying young people to 'stay in a job.' The attitude of many, on both sides, is to 'put them to an apprenticeship' and satisfy a skills shortage. You have to have the DESIRE to enter and complete an apprenticeship - I know how hard it was to continue and the discipline required. I still have the desire and the vision many, many years later, loving my trade and my business.Is there hope for manufacturing? YES. We will not compete in the auto construction industry but we are the world leaders in 4WD components and in marine equipment. Lets hope that our new Industry Minister has the imagination to be a true futurist, with the guts to plan for industries with 'small runs' WE have not worked to put Tony in as a god, but as Australia's leader and yes, we will hold him to account.

whogoesthere:

24 Sep 2013 9:42:49am

You worked hard to get Abbott in because you trust him ?. Good luck with that, really.

However he leads a Government that believes in the 'trickle down' effect. Make life easier for business and they will employ more people and we're all good !. The truth is actually much more complicated.

It was Howard that shut down the CES which led to the rise of private employment agencies. Giving corporate profits back to social security and the nation is against the DNA of free marketeers.

Extremes of either end are usually bad. Balance is usually better. I hope your faith is rewarded and Abbott does take the 'middle' road, we'll see.

TrevorN:

Rory the Red:

24 Sep 2013 8:47:54am

No worries Peter, I will gladly sacrifice my measely Penalty rates for working weekends & public holidays and my shift allowances for working afternoons and nights when Politicians give up all their perks and allowances that are paid for by the Tax payer.

No doubt you would say that Politicians deserve those perks because they could earn more money in the Private sector or that if we pay peanuts we get monkeys, well let them ply there trade elswhere, there are many who can do the job just as well for less. If you are an advocate of the free market then the same laws must apply.

Of course the free market only applies to other people, it does not apply to people like you does it. If it did it would be a huge social injustice.

I bet you put your hand out for all the perks as a Politician didnt you Peter, and how is that pension for life going?.

Elementary Watson:

24 Sep 2013 8:50:34am

Ok Pete,you did well to avoid using the word that cant be spoken,Workchoices (dont mention the war Basil),but using my handy LNP Doublespeak Decoder thats what you are advocating.You are right,there is no time to waste,Tony must enact whatever it is you LNP harpies are calling it these days and in doing so expose his real Tony intentions.

Geoffrey Chaucer:

While not a full solution to the problem of unemployment, the government could at least stimulate the manufacturing industry by restructuring Foreign Aid to include a strong ?in-kind? component.

Rather than handing-out cash, the Foreign Aid budget could include the provision of infrastructure to countries needing aid.

For instance, it could select by tender process Australian contractors to build in those countries schools, hospitals, bridges, etc . . . with a contract provision that all material components be manufactured in Australia.

Also as part of its Foreign Aid budget, the Australian government could also supply fleets of Australian-made vehicles to those countries? public services ( utes, sedans, station-wagons, vans etc . . . ).

This would stimulate the manufacturing sector and improve the unemployment situation in Australia.

The rest of the Foreign Aid budget could then be handed in cash to those countries? rulers, so they and their associates could build themselves palaces and buy Mercedes and BMWs as an incentive to continue voting in the UN and other organisations the way Australia wish them to do.

Len Heggarty:

24 Sep 2013 9:05:04am

Peter,Tony Abbott will now pull the levers and press some buttons and leap tall buildings and the nations unemployment will be contained and Australia will back on the right economic path after its wayward smoko will Labor.

KevinS:

24 Sep 2013 9:07:29am

Peter,

Labour reform is counterproductive to Australia's economy if it results in lowering ordinary Australians standard of living and discretionary ability to spend and consume. Remember, unlike any other time in Australias' economic history, economic health now relies heavily on domestic consumption of goods and services. When you were in government you oversaw the transition through the GST and clever marketing to a reliant consumption economy, whilst driving down actual discretionary capacity for many Australians to spend and consume unless they recklessly spent on credit. Many Australians did just that and literally sh... themselves with the GFC 2007/8/9/10/11/12 as their personal indebtedness well exceeded their realisable assets and capacity to service their debt if their income reduced.

Once again, you have proved your economic illiteracy. Abbott is taking his advice obviously from better money managers than you. Now is not the time to assault Australians standard of living and confidence to consume with lower interest rates giving them some financial capacity. Of course business is agitating for abolition of penalty rates and other labour costs in a short term whats in for me way.

Australia must improve its economic performance through efficiencies. If you are dead serous about positioning Australia to compete we have to wean Australian business of taxpayer handouts. It is ridiculous when mega nationals and highly profitable corporations like Cadbury and GMH are demanding handouts, particularly as these and other multinationals attached to the Australian taxpayer teat send two thirds of what we give them back to their parent company, via all manner of tax havens. Make sure that any taxpayer handouts cycle through our own economy in full. But the Coalition has already shown it isn't brave enough to do that.

Hubert:

24 Sep 2013 9:52:42am

Nicely put Kev.

Sadly, I suspect that Peter and his mates have no real interest in "the economy". His real intent is to free up the Labour market so Corporations can increase their profits. It's all about the rich getting richer. Any rhetoric about the economy, or unemployment rates is just smoke and mirrors.

KevinS:

24 Sep 2013 1:31:56pm

We have a greater inefficiency in CEO and senior executive remuneration. Company loses money and the CEO and senior executive receive monetary bonuses and share issues, usually preferential and fully franked. How efficient a remuneration structure is that? Where is the incentive for corporate Australia to embrace productivity efficiencies through technological investment and innovation. Being rewarded for reducing costs by job shedding is achieving nothing for Australia, now heavily dependent on consumers that have income to spend. Ideology and ignorance qxeau does not put food on the table of Australians and money in financial institutions, superannuation and reducing social welfare programs, unless of course you like the idea of beggars or pan handlers if that is your language in the streets of our cities and towns, poor dying of malnutrition and disease. Remember that remains the fate of many in the nations whose workforces you wish us to compete with on a level playing field. A well educated, articulate, discerning very large middle class of voters and consumers will likely be progressive in politics and in consumption an anathema to your political ideology and to the retail industry in Australia that offers low quality imported goods enmass that garners them 1200% profits. At the moment they are only earning 800%, down 400% from their boom times when Australians brought on mass credit. Profits like that just aren't good enough. Do away with penalty rates they demand. Pointless to even explain the simple yet complex nature of consumer as the driver of activity and the generator of wealth but only if they have the discretionary spending power available after basic debts and cost of living are paid. Ideology blinds you to practical economics which actually must sit outside ideology.

burke:

Peter of Melbourne:

24 Sep 2013 9:09:27am

Well Pete the moment Abbott reintroduces anything that even smells like WorkChoices he can rightly be, and will more than likely be, shown the door resulting in the Liberals only serving as a one term Government. Australian companies are the amongst the most profitable in their sectors around the globe.

If WorkChoices is reintroduced in any form I will actually get off my backside and do the unthinkable... vote for whichever of the current numbnuts Labor puts in as opposition leader.

burke:

Alwaysgrumpy:

24 Sep 2013 9:09:53am

Once again Peter Reith jumping up and down on his Mark Scott supplied soap box shouting the same old, same old... minus, of course, the one word which puts lead in his pencil "Workchoices".It's in every sentence, but as decreed by the other Liberal Party spin doctors, written in invisible ink.

kms:

24 Sep 2013 10:41:31am

I'm wondering if the censorship and news blackouts on asylum seeker boats (8 since the election but 1 since T Abbott appointed the General. But he would have known the first 7 were on way and delaying the appointment under the guise of careful and measured decisions) will be extended to labour reforms and other aspects of economic policy implementation? For instance FairWork Australia can be revamped simply by those controlling the purse strings and appointments. Stack it with pliable Commissioners and Board with little advertising of this; starve FairWork of operating funds to conduct audits and investigate complaints from employees or their unions. Months will go by before complaints regarding delays start appearing in the media. At the same time widen the use of 457visas and work visa grants for tourists whilst visiting Australia, by default putting pressure on workers to willingly accept lowering of pay and conditions offered by employers with the threat of sackings and redundancies if no employee accommodations are given. All this is possible without an iota of legislation being presented to Parliament. Tony Abbott will be receiving all manner of pressure regarding labour reform and suggestions of how he can go about labour reform without appearing to break his undertakings. It will be a test to see how his moral being survives and how much control and influence he actually has within the Coalition.

I Love Polls:

24 Sep 2013 9:20:04am

Honeymoon period??? You must be joking! Maybe for Abbott, but not for us. While he stays hidden from the public, I picture a human wrecking ball swinging around like a mad man. How can unemployment not be a priority for this man? 26,500 jobs disappeared in the 3 months to August, the biggest drop in 13 years. In August alone, 2,600 full-time and 8,200 part-time jobs were lost. He may say he cares about asylum seekers drowning at sea, but how about the Australians who are drowning in debt? Wouldn't getting people into the workforce help the debt he cares about, by having them become tax payers? All of his priorities are so way off from what the public wants or needs.

aelious:

24 Sep 2013 9:20:31am

Can one of you Abbott lovers here explain why the commercial media/ shock jocks has stopped screaming out about the need for a surplus budget NOW..either this was as important post election as it was pre election is it not? Why were they demanding that Labor surplus the budget NOW but have allowed Abbott to say that it will be in surplus when the cycle is again in boom..if the media is fair & balanced as you say..please explain this to me?I say that you have been LIED to & deceived & you have fallen for these LIES.But as you have voted for all this YOU are directly responsible & will be held directly responsible for what now happens!

Elvis:

24 Sep 2013 4:42:16pm

Yes, that is true Peter - Abbott did move to the when possible line. But when Labor also ran that line (which is the only sensible approach) didn't Abbott and the media have a fit crying budget emergency and financial mismanagement! Surely you remember - I think you may have posted something along the same lines!

The message being - its ok if "we" do it, but it's not ok if "they" do the same thing. Please explain the logic in that.

Waterloo Sunset. 2014:

24 Sep 2013 3:20:42pm

No, your incorrect.

This is what was said, ''We will get to surplus when it is reasonable, responsible, to do so. We are not going, I am not going, to make the mistake Labor made of making big heroic promises and never delivering,'' Joe Hockey told the National Press Club 'BEFORE 'the election. So that was the mandate; clear and unequivocal.

I don't know where you were, why you didn't know that, why you never read that, or why someone didn't alert you to the fact. It was before the election after all. However you 'NOW' know, so there's no excuse for asking again - even using a different pseud.

burke:

Waterloo Sunset. 2014:

24 Sep 2013 9:26:28am

The tail wags the dog, in Australian industry. That's why we don't have much and there's not much in the pipeline. One can label it red tape, or unions enforcing 'jobs for the boys' - where two electricians are better than one, however it takes its toll.

Waterloo Sunset. 2014:

24 Sep 2013 6:54:52pm

Why would an electrician be stressed?

If it makes you happier, I'll quote the plasterers who were waiting all day on full pay at The "new" Gold Coast University Hospital, for an electrician to come from somewhere else, when there was one on the floor.

The union boss insisted that the job be done by the man that he picked. I could relate myriad stories, but it would all be anecdotal.

Alpo:

25 Sep 2013 6:15:10am

Believe me WS, I don't condone inefficiency or malpractice. But I am happy to criticise both when they come either from Unionists or Bosses.... You guys, for some reason, just seem to focus on Unionists. Abetz is already preparing for a crack down on Unions. I was in the believe that a minister for employment would be also worried about abuses by bosses.... but hey, this a Coalition Government isn't it?

Mart:

24 Sep 2013 9:28:43am

I never understood how widening casual employment and it's subsequent underemployment, coupled with making it easier to sack and reducing penalties ever equalled more fulfilling employment and more money to go around. Politicians and ideologues need to realise that the days of using credit to supplement the lack of a wage are ending or already over. The stupid thing is the policies reduce the spend of the very same people who provide the businesses with their profit? Go figure. Insert head in hands here

burke:

DaveS:

24 Sep 2013 9:29:42am

You have offered NO solutions and have managed to bring into the debate the HR Nicholls society-fair and balanced?- and belittled a Union for instigating safety measures to try and curb road fatalities.So you would suggest then that the safety of employees and those on the roads around them, are hindering productivity by actively trying NOT to kill themselves or others.Wow , if that's the sensible centre then I despair for my fellow Australians.

TrevorN:

24 Sep 2013 5:35:26pm

There are some in business and politics who think that having safe work practices are just a burden on profits. They would regard road fatalities in the trucking industry as collateral damage, not a national and personal tragedy for those involved. If they could still force children up chimneys they surely would.

TrevorN:

24 Sep 2013 5:35:43pm

There are some in business and politics who think that having safe work practices are just a burden on profits. They would regard road fatalities in the trucking industry as collateral damage, not a national and personal tragedy for those involved. If they could still force children up chimneys they surely would.

GregL:

24 Sep 2013 9:45:28am

Once again we have a piece by Reith that is cliche ridden (labor market reform) and full of vague statements on IR change. i would like to know exactly what he and his cabal propose should happen in industries such as retail, manufacturing and transport. What does "flexibility" mean in practice, what are the "dodgy practices" related to the "faux claims of improved safety" in the trucking industry, what are the reforms "needed" in the maritime industry....more balaclavas and dogs perhaps?

What is never talked about by conservatives is the role of capital, investment and government intervention. Corporations have moved en masse to Asia not only because of low labor costs. They have moved on the back of massive incentives given by countries that provide cheap land, very significant tax concessions, in additon to low cost labor. Reith and his fellow travellers, like Gina Reinhardt, focus on the labor market, and dream of the two dollar a day worker in this country.

kevinS:

24 Sep 2013 11:17:43am

GregL

Actually many American companies have moved their focus back into the US with costs of doing business lower. What is significant in this repositioning was the cheap as chips energy now available in the US through fracking and energy alternatives like solar and wind power. Added to that the innovation sector has been busy and corporations have been retooling and investing in massively more efficient and productive technology needing less employees but more skilled and qualified employees. Unemployment and consumption is down in the US, the only hinderance to the US economy. But massive investment is also taking place in reskilling and training of the domestic workforce so when employees skills accreditation is complete and soon meet the technology improvements/innovations already online in US industry the US economy will bounce back to reclaim the preeminent economic leadership role. China in comparison is sluggish. India is also slowing and Africa, Indonesia and still much of South America has a long way to develop before economically threatening the US. And in Australia, we have masses of alternative energy to sell cheap as chips too. But instead we are too busy selling it for short term profit rather than show nationalism like the US and use our resources to our short and long term benefit.Peter Reith does not want you to know any of this of course. Information like this would get in the way of his and the Coalitions financiers gutting Australia of its resources whilst receiving masses of money in subsidies through back door returning of royalties collected by the states and corporate taxes paid by the miners. Ask Colin Barnett why when WA has presided over the biggest government receipts from the WA mining boom, he does not have the money to pay for essential and basic services for the West Australian people? The money collected by his government must be going somewhere.

NWM:

24 Sep 2013 3:38:47pm

Exactly. If the Libs are to build any trust and credencials for managing the economy, they need to have a vision for a post fossil fuel economy with the realisation that the benefits such as described for the US will happen here too. With such creative thinking they may be able to kick start our economy onto this new path towards an environmentally harmonious and technologically advanced way of life. For the Libs to pride themselves on being good economic managers, they need to realise that past theories and austerity politics don't work, what we need is an economy in which everyone is comfortably off which means the rich will probably be even richer. The Libs need to be careful not to let the Fossil Fuel industry hold them back.

GregL:

24 Sep 2013 4:36:49pm

Spot on Kevin.

I was recently in the UK and they are seeing a return of industry on the back of changes to investment patterns and the realisation that in high end industires (and high profit) driven by technological innovation you can make big returns on shore.

Of course Reith and his HR Nicholls Society fellow travellers are simply focused on one aspect, he ideological battle within the IR framework.

kevinS:

25 Sep 2013 7:05:56am

Britain has taken much of its innovation from Germany and the US. Cameron and the Conservatives changed taxation and incentive programs so that investors were eager to invest in these high end areas. Cameron did this of course by offsetting some of the costs against services for ordinary Brits and increasing their costs of living whilst reducing their incomes. One overriding element was/is the centre point from which this economic reform and shift has occurred. Britain remains fixed on its area of strength - financial services.Britain has two points of strength that Australia does not. Its high currency means that as a net importer of food and other goods, it is able to get them cheaply by being a EU member using the buying power of the EU. Average Brits can afford foods and goods that in Australia are considered luxuries. The average Brit can travel Europe, the US and elsewhere in the world cheaply. But remember Britain also has a high taxes and a high level of poverty and social problems associated with unemployment, low education and skills, homelessness and racial tensions. Where Britain does produce goods and agricultural product for export its high currency is of no matter as most of its market is within the EU and it uses that protection and ready market. It has the best of all worlds. But it is a model that Australia cannot emulate even though the Liberals want to take elements from it such as the high risk and perhaps high reward banking and financial sector - Lehmann Bros as an example.

Where's Tony:

24 Sep 2013 9:52:32am

Settle down folk's, we all know that Tony and the Daleks have a miracle cure for all our woe's.St Joseph will fix the economy.St Malcolm will provide the best NBN in the world (to those who can afford it.)St Christopher (the conski - goneski man) will ensure that your kids will get the best education that their parents can afford.St Gregory will convince us that climate change is just a myth put out by a few thousand scaremongering scientists.St Julie will bring about world peace.Scott the redeemer will stop the boats by deluding us that none arrive.Meanwhile The Abbott will take a vow of silence and lead from some cloistered Abbey, far, far away from any meaningful scrutiny.Our future is assured, bask gratefully in the new age of enlightenment and prosperity, Andrew Bolt and Michael Kroger assure us that it is just around the corner, who are we to doubt.

Bob G:

24 Sep 2013 9:54:44am

The LNP government unlike our previous ALP government will not and should not rush into policy implementation just because the people say they should. They are there to spend tax payer funds sensibly and deliver on sound well structured policies, without the reckless haste and waste we saw from their predecessors. The sad financial legacy left by the ALP was six years in the making and it cannot be repaired within six weeks as suggested by the dissenters of the LNP.The current National Debt is equivalent to about $15,000 per Australian man, woman and child. Labor has left us a shameful and substantial black hole that would take any incoming government a long time to recover. The ALP would have, had they been returned, continued to increase this debt by billions more. "Less Haste more, sensible Speed".

Peter of Melbourne:

24 Sep 2013 12:48:54pm

Its a method of wage restraint, which also answers the question of why it is never publicised by either the LNP or Labor when they hold Government. A large chunk of those immigrants which gain employment will end up forking over $500.00pa to the Unions. You do the figures.

Whilst some people in these forums like to bandy on about Australians having some of the highest wages in the world they also conveniently ignore the fact that those wages service the what are amongst the highest prices for goods and services in the world.

MT_Syd:

24 Sep 2013 2:27:25pm

so, to restrain wages we need to boost the population and keep unemployment up

great plan

not so sure about the number of immigrants who join unions, only about 20% of the workforce is a union member and in theory the majority of immigrants go to skilled employment eg IT, where there tends to be less union membership

Peter of Melbourne:

24 Sep 2013 3:40:24pm

I didnt make the plan MT.. it is just what the LNP and Labor have placed upon our society over the past 30 or so years.

Me, I am a nationalist at heart which is why I support neither Labor with their failed open border policies nor the LNP with their open ended foreign investement policies (which are fully supported by Labor anyway).

Only those we invite in should be allowed to settle within our borders and foreign investors should only be allowed to partner with Australian owned companies without a controlling share in said partnerships. There should be absolutely zero taxpayer aid provided to majority owned foreign entities operating within our country. If that means goodbye to the foreign owned auto industry then so be it considering the vast majority of components in supposedly Australian built cars are imported anyway.

Peter of Melbourne:

24 Sep 2013 3:51:28pm

As for your final comment... funny I see a lot driving taxi's, trucks and working in retail because they do not have any skillsets our society requires. So those jobs the younger in our society used to fill are no longer open to them.

A migrant is only skilled if they can meet the qualification expectations from within our society, the society which actually matters for this exercise, and not the qualification expectations from the 3rd world societies a vast number of recent immigrants have originated from.

Alpo:

24 Sep 2013 10:41:50am

Bob G, the Coalition will never repay the debt, they will never deliver a surplus, they will not decrease unemployment and will not stop the boats.... they will not be re-elected either... what a waste of three valuable years!!!

Hubert:

True Blue Ozzie:

24 Sep 2013 9:54:46am

Oh Peter , i hear the violin of work choices not to far in the distance, waiting in line to take center stage again !Any industrial relations reform, is certain under Abbott to mean robbing the workers of there wages and conditions. Howard wasn't the great god of Australian politics as Abbott, your self and others claim he was !

Howard ran the government to favor big business, governments are voted in to care for everyday little people workers, pensioners., disabled,unemployed everyday Australian's!

457 visas are a classic tool used against Australian workers , to erode Australian workers wages and conditions.In my view the 457 visa system should be bannedcompletely, in favour of going back to training our own Australian people for the jobs. How on earth are our young to ever get a job, when Australian business won't train them, rather than train our people, business would rather use the 457 visa system. This system does not support our own unemployed and that's very bad for Australia !!!!!!

It personally doesn't affect me anymore due to a back injury i no longer work, but it really concerns me that the young and unemployed will never get the chances i did being trained on the job while having a job .

Novice:

Malcolm McDonald:

24 Sep 2013 10:01:29am

Peter Reith's labour market reforms are limited to cutting wages, salaries, and general conditions of employment, by curtailing trade union and employee rights in dealings with employers. As a minister in the Howard government, his previous endeavours at labour market reform on the waterfront, included the use of overseas trained strike breakers who with the support of dogs, hid their miserable identities by wearing balaclavas. Reith was lucky he never faced prosecution over this episode of labour market reform.

burke:

Holly:

24 Sep 2013 10:11:59am

So I am already reading about Bruce Billson heavying the Tax Office about independent contractors. According to Billson the Labor government took measures to crack down on sham contractors to benefit the unions. I believe that it was more to benefit the contractor/employee who misses out on any employee protections and also any entitlements. Treasury also misses out as a high proportion of "contractors" do not complete a tax return so therefore pay no tax.

I can see that greedy entrepreneurs would enjoy the 25 per cent savings on standard wages and the total lack of protection afforded to these workers, but encouraging "sham contracting" seems to me to to be little different from encouraging a black economy, which statistics show is how about 50 percent of small businesses already operate.

As for proudly announcing the deregulation of the trucking industry - we are supposed to be thankful for this? I would say that any ridiculous pink batts blame Peter has trotted out in the past will pale into insignificance as the mounting road toll involving trucks will be quite rightfully sheeted back to this wreckless government.

Polysemantic Pete:

"And that means genuine reform. And that has to include labour market reform."

WorkChoices. Dead, buried, cremated. Pete, do you think Tony finds your comments helpful? After all he's just had to put out a few GST spot-fires that have ignited over west.

How about you quieten down and wait for late 2015 or early 2016 so you can run for pre-selection and see if you can get a seat in Parliament again? With all these great policies of yours we read every week, I'm sure Lord Reith would be PM in a flash...

Esteban:

Mike:

24 Sep 2013 10:27:46am

If the aim is to reduce unemployment, the first step should NOT be sacking 12,000 public servants. Look at what happened in Queensland. Unemployment was falling and the economy was growing until the Newman government sacked 14,000 public servants. Then unemployment skyrocketed up and the economy flatlined, coming very close to going into recession.

MT_Syd:

GJA:

24 Sep 2013 10:29:28am

Labour market reform is a euphemism for paying workers less. We have heard often from the Liberalites about the need to eliminate penalty rates, for example, as well as the near-constant chorus of condemnation regarding unions. The Howard era saw a significant reduction in union strength; Abbott will seek to move that further. We first heard of boycott campaigns being effectively criminalised under Howard; Abbott will pursue that, too. I expect to hear of plans to shift away from penalty rates, something along the lines of the proposal to pay long-term unemployed a bonus for finding a job, that is, a push to put the burden on employees rather than employers. The LNP paymasters do not want to share their wealth; they want to increase their share.

MT_Syd:

Michael S:

24 Sep 2013 10:29:38am

We need to re-introduce tax breaks for capital investment and staff training one that encourages business to invest in capital and training. Rely less on importing staff and developing the local workforce.

peter of mitcham:

24 Sep 2013 10:31:39am

Oh I've been waiting sooooo long to say this. The PM has deceived the electorate - he hasn't stopped the boats. ELECTION NOW!! C'mon people, let's form a convoy of pushbikes and storm Canberra. Yes .... all better now. Very sorry that ALP is out of office but here in Victoria Rudd was totally unacceptable. Best you leave, Kevin, happy now?

blax5:

24 Sep 2013 10:50:34am

Why not embrace Zero-Hours-'Contracts'. All who have such a piece of paper will then be counted as employed. The retail sector will no longer be hurting as people will start spending again because the more uncertain you make next month's income the easier they will spend this week's pay.

StBob:

24 Sep 2013 10:54:38am

"the timing of the cutback of paper money known as quantitative easing."

That's almost amusing that Reith think QE involves the US Govt actually printing paper money. When they buy bonds do you think they take delivery of the bonds after leaving a sum of freshly printed notes in a suitcase (or barrel!) ? Less amusing when you realise this bozo's colleagues in teh Coalition are now running the economy.

Oh hangs on, isn't this what you did in the 1990s and early 2000s? Work Choices swept you out of office (and don't tell us the 2007 election was an 'it's time moment'). Your waterfront reforms increased foreign labour at the expense of working Australian. Unions have lead to better working conditions for workers so they are more productive and thus increasing profits for business, particularly small business.

I think the electorate should give the Abbott Government the shortest honeymoon possible. Afterall, Abbott had been calling for an election ever since the independents refused to support him in 2010. Three years to prepare for government, they should hit the ground running and if they don't then they are incompetent.

Davo:

24 Sep 2013 11:22:49am

The reforms we need are at the top end of town. Cutting wages and overtaem is small change when compared to senior management renumeration.Outsource "C" roles to India and pay 75% less for the same skill level. Why should the CEO of an Aussie bank get $15M each year when they could be replaced with an equally qualified Indian for less than $1M?

joker:

24 Sep 2013 11:39:22am

I'm ecstatic the Liberals won, honestly I am. It was getting boring watching the Liberal acolytes attack and the Labor acolytes defend, thanks to the election the shoe is now on other foot. Keep up the good work party hacks (from either side) you're all just as pathetic as each other, your votes count for naught whenever an election is called.It is 'we' the unaligned who hold both your parties to account, as it seems none of you ever have the 'nads' to.

Just remember you lot of navel gazers, while the real citizens of the country are voting at an election, call out loudly 'yay team', as that is all that seems to be of concern to all of you.

Anubis:

colin67:

24 Sep 2013 11:47:48am

I started work at 16 as an Apprentice never had any Tafe to go to just done by correspondence the Sugar mill where I worked the tradesmen did all the training we moved around different areas of the mill and learnt every aspect of that sugar mill from diesel trains to boilers and generating electricity under steam power this is a much better way to train apprentices and the company paid you a weekly wage. After finishing my 5 year apprenticeship I had to leave and could not apply for a job back there for at least 2 years, making room for a continuance supply of Tradesmen and most companies done this.And did this without a computer.

Jason:

24 Sep 2013 12:04:35pm

Peter's got the conservative wind in his sails now. His old favourites of union bashing and IR deregulations are back on the agenda. I did read on another website some months ago that the Libs were desperate to get union officials off the boards of industry super funds. Apparently their mates in the retail funds don't like the low fees, and unions not prepared to pay big money to the fund managers. I didn't think much of it at the time but now Peter has confirmed it. "There should also be a proper examination of governance arrangements for superannuation." This merely confirms that the Libs are trying to extract as much money as possible from the poor and transfer it to the wealthy, with complete disregard for the future finances of the country. Hopefully people will maintain the rage and vote this mob out at the next election. They're going to wreck the joint.

Judy Bee:

24 Sep 2013 12:16:40pm

There is something dodgy about your assumption that the improved safety in the 'trucking' business' is 'faux'. Improved safety became the Union negotiated goal, one that is probably unfulfilled, not because of the work of the Unions but because of the timeframe demands made on drivers by their employers. You obviously need to get out and about Peter, ride the big highways and experience how the 'trucking business' flaunts all union won safety regulations. Those drivers know that the imposed timeline must be met, and that becomes first priortity.

The retail sector is hurting because we, the consumer, are sick of buying 'stuff'. It is just cheap, imported 'stuff'. Harvey Norman provides the biggest example of providing unwanted stuff, and we see very little imagination and initiative to create a more innovative retail approach.

Productivity reform means Australians will work longer hours for less remuneration. Poor economic outcomes would follow.

Union bashing proponents like Peter Reith, forget that Unions represent the voice of the collective body of workers, all productive hard working Australians, who do not have power as individuals. As individuals, workers are vulnerable to the worst exploitation by the likes of Corporations that you, Peter Reith and the Liberal Party, are happy to represent and provide uncontested access.

SteveB:

24 Sep 2013 12:23:57pm

I knew it wouldn't be long before Reith reared his conservative head, calling for all-out assault on worker's wages and conditions so that his corporate mates could make bigger profits and keep the working masses tightly under control through the use of contracts and casual labour. I'm sure that Reith was an owner of one of the "dark satanic mills" in the Industrial Revolution in a past life. His extreme right-wing IR ideology seems to reflect that. And quoting another right-wing IR extremist Des Moore from the sacred H.R. Nicholls Society is an insult to the working people of this country. Go away Reith... find a time lord who will take you back to 18th century England where you (obviously) belong.

Science-Lover:

24 Sep 2013 12:34:54pm

Yes, Peter, let's cut red tape, let's cut workers' rights and wages.Let's bring in the Republican American view into Australia where the low-paid require food stamps (which the GOP is trying to stop).Let's look at the Republican states that declared Business is Open Here by killing off all red tape, tax exceptions for the businesses etc.Then what happens: How many U.S. workers have been killed by major factory explosions because of the reduction in these "horrible obstructions to business".

What did you do, Peter, to increase infrastructure spending for the future?Oh, yes, flagpoles for the schools.No, you gave most of the government surplus to buy votes.

Of course, you don't have to worry about the future because of the wonderful pension scheme you are enjoying at the expense of the taxpayer. So let's the taxpayers pay more and let big business run riot.

Andrew:

24 Sep 2013 12:47:37pm

What Reith is saying is that Abbott should break his election promise and bring in the IR reforms he specifically ruled out. Add this to Barnett saying he should break his promise on the GST (Barnett has form on this, having now ditched his 'fully costed, fully funded' transport plans) and you see a pattern developing.

The Lib party machine is furious that Abbott locked himself in to so many positions, whilst spending 3 years bagging Gillard for shifting hers.

Labor needs to ensure that the Lie-berals broken promises are front and centre every day for the next 3 years. Let Abbott stew in the slop bucket that he created.

Rob:

Holly:

24 Sep 2013 1:06:34pm

Is Bob G aware that this shameful Abbott government has already increased our debt by 2.5 billion in one week with further borrowings, and is seeking to increase the debt ceiling? So much for the budget emergency.

AndyT:

24 Sep 2013 1:47:17pm

Once again, laced through comments here is the myth about our economy being "quite well managed" over the last six years. Let's not forget that this was supposed to be the "Asian Century" and by any measure we are light years behind threse economies in terms of growth over that period. In bad times, we just looked at the USA, UK and western Europe and "quite well managed" translated as "not nearly as bad as over there" - it is negative benchmarking. We have almost missed the first Asian train of the 21st Century, if we run hard down the platform, we might sneak onto the guards carraige and gradually make our way forward from there - if we don't, the USA and even the UK (which reported a fall in unemployment 2 weeks ago) will beat us onto the Express line as well.

MT_Syd:

you cant seriously compare growth in an emerging economy with growth in a developed economy

we have done well because we have been supported by exports to China, and because the government acted quickly and strongly when the GFC hit

now, the problem is that the investment phase of the mining boom is over (they arent building mines anymore) and consumers arent much interested in spending on credit (because they are paying off their huge mortgages)

perspectives:

24 Sep 2013 1:49:25pm

It gets tedious reading these comments when they turn into a political fight. Reith was quite measured in his comments and no-one can argue that we don't need some structural change to regain our international competitiveness and boost employment. This means we will definitely see labour market reform and a reduction in wasteful, non-productive government spending. We need to improve conditions to attract business investment which in turn boosts jobs, corporate profits, tax receipts and super balances. Abbott has commissioned a Productivity Review which he will use as justification for future actions.

NWM:

24 Sep 2013 2:35:26pm

An issue with Reith's article is that he implies the Libs are here to save the day, to recover from "what Labor has done". In fact, we're in great shape compared to most countries in the world. So this arrogance is unfounded. I doubt the austerity politics of the right wing would have brought us through the GFC in such good shape. And I doubt it's going to help now - there is nothing that Abbott has said shows he really has a vision of how to move forward in a way that is beneficial for our land and our people.

The flip side of Abbotts easy ride in the media and his avoidance of being transparent with Aussies, is that the lack of information breeds distrust, and until he comes clean about who he is really working for (big business and the miners), he will not win the trust war.

Bodin:

24 Sep 2013 2:01:05pm

There are a number of areas in which genuine improvement could be achieved. Very few should alarm most people.Using ISO 9000 create a whole of Government(yes State, Local ad Federal ) supplier QA standards and reduce the compliance burden by a massive amount as presently there are multiple requirements covering the same areas across Departments, Levels and Agencies. That will open up Government work to numerous smaller businesses and create competition for the big companies who get the work because they will conform.Look at the reasons for the multiple log ons , client numbers required for government services , all backed up by duplicate proofs of ID, all encompassing data sharing consents and never used for client services but always for enforcement.Kill off the Ehealth system that the doctors and their patients have voted on decisively with their feet. Spend health money on Doctors and nurses , on extension services rather than another IT contract that does not work.If Abbott gets his government to deliver rather than promise, perform not announce and address Federal responsibilities rather than every wish list we may all be better.Too many initiatives over too great a time span just fade away and their passing is accepted.Too often all levels of Government roll funding staff and activities of "reviewed " (i.e. failed ) into new shiny announcements , with new shiny names , glossy brochures, well designed media strategies and great websites that in turn are reinvented by a later minister or government.Thus the Princes, Pacific Highway, Sydney's second airport, Aboriginal and social housing have been reviewed, productivitied , white papered and initiatived to remain 20 years away.I for one will settle for less communication, openness, progress , vision etc and a bit more actuality.

Amnesia:

ram:

24 Sep 2013 2:30:42pm

Never forget it was the LNP that brought in the GST and largely shutdown Australian manufacturing. Never forget it was the LNP that "sold" Australian Defence Industries (ADI) to the French government owned arms dealer Thales. Never forget it was the LNP that got Australia involved in senseless wars in the Middle East.

JMJ:

24 Sep 2013 2:52:20pm

Peter, I cant't say that I agree with your assertion that Labor's past policies are responsible for the rising rate of unemployment in this country. According to the latest Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy survey research, unemployment amongst professionals within the Australian minerals industry (including geoscientists and engineers) rose by 9% for the past year to sit at just under 11% which is nearly double the national average rate of unemployment in this country. My guess is that the high rate of unemployed professionals within the mining industry is directly related to external forces outside of Australia's sphere of influence.

NWM:

24 Sep 2013 3:42:21pm

When are the Libs going to solve the key problem of big miners gaining ridiculous personal profits that should be used to strengthen our economy, not their back pockets. Why target unions and the workers when their are such abysmal abuses at the top end of town? There is simply no justification in this day and age for the obscene wealth of Gina and co. The distraction implied in this article can only go on so long (as long as the rich are able to manipulate the media).

BJA:

24 Sep 2013 3:43:26pm

Peter, did you happen to notice the "labour market reform" just engaged in by Prof Tim Flannery and Co?They've decided to work for nothing!Queer cattle, eh?I've previously suggested that you carefully study the social natures of your pruggies and your bees. To that you can add what Flannery and Co are up to.Enlightenment might descend on you like a tangible thing. Peter, we are not going to bother with the born to rulers and born to be ruled any more. That wasn't working.You'll just have to give all that rubbish away.If you don't yet get it, just go and have another look at your pruggies.And don't worry too much about what Tony is up to. Someone found him an old tyre. He'll be OK.I once watched an orang outang amuse itself for hours with a bag and a horizontal bar.

Steve Mount:

Quote : "The retail sector is hurting." Yep, because consumers can buy a great deal cheaper from overseas, where production and labour costs are far lower than domestic equivalents.

You're a free market adherent, Peter, you should be cheering for the consumer, who is, after all, the most important in the 'free market' chain. Thus said your hero, John Howard. Remember that, Peter, the consumer comes first... unless you're becoming some form of business socialist...

So there is no problem, surely. We can buy stuff from overseas, online, at a much lower cost, way beyond what 'labour market reform' can hope to achieve.

It seems that your free-market ideology has betrayed you...a business socialist, like your close brethren, the agrarian socialist Nationals.

Skeptic:

24 Sep 2013 4:09:21pm

Yep, gotta act on that pesky unemployment "emergency". No need to take any notice of the opinion of many economists that around about 5% of the population - no matter how good the prevailing economic conditions are - will always be unemployable. Which means that the real unemployment rate of 0.8% is a feckin' disaster.

Blzbob:

Stirrer:

24 Sep 2013 5:37:40pm

This man is either delusional,misinformed or a charlatan.He says " In the cool light of day,it makes you wonder why the US seems so addicted to racking up so much debt"

He of course means the $85Billion a month the US Fed is pumping into US banks.Maybe he should note what the New York Fed Pres. said 'the US economy is still too weak to think about turning the liquidity tap down yet"But what I find galling is that he talks about 'addiction to raking up debt" yet it was the Howard Government which presided over a debt driven economy which saw household debt in Australian rise from 45% of disposeable income in 1997 to 147% in 2007.Yet he will still not admit that it is PRIVAYE debt which destroys economies not Government debt.He claims rising unemployment is the legacy of Rudd and Gillard- with the lowest unemployment rate in the OECD that is an absolute political furphy.He quotes the HR Nicholls Society 'Australia has now reached the point where employment is growing at a slower rate than the working age population' With rising global youth unemployment its not just Australia which has reached that point- and I have news for Mr Reith- its not going to get any better -not even with any of his suggested 'reforms" like us agreeing to work longer and harder for less. Not until we get rid of the cabal of bankers who have taken over America's and the World's financial system.As he is part of that cabal -he is undoubtedly a charlatan.

Astounded:

24 Sep 2013 6:51:58pm

The only actions of this terrible government have been to increase cost and waste through their petty and spiteful blue tape policies and programs. Who could have imagined we would need another election to rid us of this failing regime already.

Unashamedly rational:

Jazzy Smythe:

24 Sep 2013 7:17:24pm

Direct action, fibre to the nearest capital city, changing 'programmes' to 'programs' in legislation, the already failed boats and the inevitable stuff up of the carbon repeal (and its millions in compensation) are just a few of the already substantial blue tape policies which will see unemployment rocket to 8% in a year.

Treetop:

24 Sep 2013 7:31:44pm

Thee main thing hurting the Australian economy is the lack of affordable housing which the government could fix through the taxation system by giving tax reduction incentives to those that build new homes and tax increases to those that buy existing homes for investments .In cities like Sydney , a basic flat to rent can cost almost the total basic wage so without penalty rates many people could not afford to work and live in Sydney .The main problem causing unemployment is lack of skills .There is a huge amount of work available in Australia to those with skills , for example I know a medical specialist who sees around 100 patients a day at $255 each , a total of around $25,000 a day because he has no real competition.A dentist wanted $32,000 to fix a mouth full of teeth so the patient went overseas and got the job done for only $4,000 The quickest way to reduce unemployment is to train more engineers , plumbers , electricians , tilers , doctors , dentist etc because there is plenty of work for the skilled .Reducing people's wages of those on the lowest wages , only reduces business activity because low income workers often spent every cent they earn so the less they get also means less that businesses get .

Doug of Armidale:

24 Sep 2013 8:16:59pm

Would a long term unemployed family person reject a job for say 200% of the dole with tax adjustment for number of children as opposed to a sit down existence without pride?How about a referendum on this question.